As part of the Provincial Government’s re-opening of schools campaign the Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms. Sylvia Lucas, paid a visit to schools in the De Aar area to ensure that learning and teaching takes place from the first day of the school year.
At all three schools namely Monwabisi High, Orion High and Veritas High there seemed to be no back to school blues as Ms. Lucas was greeted with eager and excited learners and educators that were ready to tackle the school year. Most excited were the grade eight learners who could not wait to start their high school career. So motivated and prepared were learners and educators of Monwabisi High School; that they already started the school year yesterday to hand out books so as to ensure that active learning and teaching starts on the first day of the academic year.
Ms. Lucas was accompanied by the District Head of Education, Mr. Petshwa as well as other community leaders. The Premier congratulated Orion High School on the improvement in their matric results because they had previously been an underperforming school but managed to increase their matric pass mark to 70%. She encouraged them to work harder and challenged the class of 2016 to a 100% pass mark. The Premier reminded learners and educators at all three schools that the commitment that she made at the matric awards definitely still stands and we need to work together to ensure that we attain quality results.
Ms. Lucas called upon learners to take seriously the responsibility that they had to be at school every day, neatly attired and to do their school work. “Government will also do its bit to support you in achieving success, for this reason we are conducting the first of a number of visits to ensure that education remains a priority and that our learners receive all the support they can get” Ms. Lucas went further to say that learners should not allow societal pressures to influence them and impact negatively on their studies, “When we look at you, we feel our sense of responsibility but we also need you to take responsibility for your own life.”
History was also made at the Veritas Technical High School with the first intake of a wheelchair bound learner. For the school principal, Ms. van Wyk, this is a challenge and a blessing at the same time because it now allows the school to relook its structural deficiencies and ensure that they make the school more accessible for differently abled learners. Ms. Lucas highlighted the importance of inclusivity and remarked that this case will definitely set the pace for more differently abled learners to be included in mainstream schooling.
Overall the Premier was satisfied with the readiness of the schools on day one of the school year to start with learning and teaching. Textbooks and stationary were available; learners and educators were on time armed with a sense of responsibility to tackle the school year. The Premier described the experience as a very positive one because these schools through the role that they play in society are gradually starting to change the landscape of De Aar. Many a leader are produced by these schools and we find that ex learners from these schools take up leadership positions in areas such as mines and even occupy scarce skill jobs such as engineers.
She made the commitment that Government will do its bit through the Departments of Education and Social Development to make sure that societal ills such as substance abuse and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome especially in the De Aar area are addressed and in so doing our children will be guaranteed a bright future. Government will also work together with the schools to deal with the infrastructure shortages; school security and general wellbeing of the learners. Whilst working on the challenges would take a while; Ms. Lucas in the meantime made the school going experience for a few learners at Monwabisi High School more pleasant by buying them much-needed school uniforms as her personal contribution to the education of these learners. She wished the learners and educators well for the school year.
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Spokesperson to the Premier - Northern Cape